Fans turn on pop star Chappell Roan over one simple post

“Is she this tone deaf?”: A simple post by so-hot-right-now pop star Chappell Roan has many of her diehard fans seeing red.

A simple post by pop star Chappell Roan to her Instagram stories has many fans seeing red, seemingly confirming something they’d suspected since she cancelled a string of concerts last week.

The American pop singer-songwriter, currently riding high in the charts with singles Good Luck, Babe and Hot To Go, announced on social media last week that she was “heartbroken” to cancel some upcoming concerts at short notice due to “scheduling conflicts.”

“I am so sorry & very disappointed : (I promise I will be back. I’m heartbroken thank you for understanding,” she wrote on August 29.

Fans think they’ve figured out what “scheduling conflicts” were behind Roan’s recent cancellations. Picture: Getty

The cancelled shows were to have taken place in Paris on September 3 and Amsterdam the following day. Both shows were booked months ago for relatively small venues, before Roan’s rapid rise to fame: While her debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess was released one year ago, it was only in recent months that her music caught on with a wider audience.

Fans were disappointed at the mysterious last-minute cancellations – and some questioned whether the “scheduling conflict” in question could possibly be the MTV Video Music Awards, set to take place in New York on September 11.

Yesterday, September 3 – the same day she was originally scheduled to play for fans in Paris – Roan seemed to confirm those suspicions.

“I am in VMAs rehearsals guys,” she announced on Instagram.

Roan hits rehearsals for the VMAs …

… after cancelling a string of shows.

That post had some fans fuming.

“She had to make sure European fans who bought tickets to her tour before she even became famous knew she ditched them for an award performance she wouldn’t have had the occasion to do if it wasn’t for them,” one person tweeted.

“chappell I love you but this is a TERRIBLE look when a couple days ago you just said ‘scheduling conflicts’,” another fan posted.

“Do we think chappell just doesn’t have a pr team or is she just this tone deaf?? bc posting this the day that the paris gig was supposed to go ahead is making the whole thing even worse,” another fan wrote.

Others have taken a more charitable view, arguing that while the cancellation was not ideal, it is understandable that Roan would nix small shows booked before her star rose dramatically in favour of a headlining performance at one of the world’s most talked-about awards shows.

Last month, 26-year-old Roan courted controversy when she shared several emotional posts on social media, slamming fans who bother her in the street and ask for photos.

Roan has slammed fans who ask for hugs or photos.

Roan's debut album is riding high in the charts, a year after being released to little success.

“I don’t give a f**k if you think it’s selfish of me to say no to a photo or a hug – that’s not normal. It’s weird. It’s f**king weird. I’m allowed to say no to creepy behaviour, OK?” she said in one of the videos.

There had been earlier signs Roan was struggling with her new-found fame. Back in June, she was shown on video breaking down on stage, admitting she was feeling overwhelmed about the sudden explosion of interest in her career.

“I just feel a little off today, because I think my career is going really fast and it’s really hard to keep up. I’m just being honest, that I’m having a hard time today.”

As the audience cheered in support, Roan explained that “I’m not trying to give you a lesser show, it’s just that … there’s a lot. Thank you for understanding. This is all I’ve ever wanted … it just hits me sometimes.”

Originally published as Fans turn on pop star Chappell Roan over one simple post